April was a crazy busy month. We had a wedding in Marfa (a friend recaps it here), a surprise 40th birthday and we spent A LOT of time unpacking in the new house (still a lot more to do).  Not a lot of cooking happened in the beginning since my kitchen was all in boxes, but it was the first room completely ready and I couldn’t wait to cook with ROOM and fun wedding gifts that had been in storage since last year! So, here’s what I was able to squeeze in during April.

 southwest sweet potato salad | This salad is versatile and amazing. Although I’ve never actually made it myself (thanks mom), I’ve eaten it several times this past month or two.  I’ve had it plain, with an egg & sriracha, with pulled pork, cilantro & sour cream, and every way was delish. Trust me.

garlic beef, broccoli & cauliflower over soba noodles | a quick and easy weeknight stir fry from the Little Kitchen (quickly becoming one of my new favorite blogs). Serve over cauliflower rice, brown rice, or soba noodles.

beef, portobello & veggie fajitas | it was our turn to host dinner club so I needed something that would feed the group and wouldn’t keep me in the kitchen all night. The marinade for the fajitas is easy and uses things you probably already have on hand. We don’t have a grill yet, so I cut the meat into small strips before marinating  and cooked it on a hot cast iron skillet and it turned out great.

homemade tortillas | of course, no fajita is complete without homemade tortillas. Have you tried making them yet? If not, you’re really missing out.

fruit pizza | The recipe came from Sam’s mom – it’s so easy and such a fun dessert. I made it for his sister’s 40th birthday party because it’s her fave and I wanted the recipe (should I admit that motive?). The secret is in the sugar cookie. According to the fam, you MUST use this one:

caprese salad & roasted garlic baked brie | I made some of her other favorite foods like caprese salad, which is simply: tomatoes, sliced mozzarella, basil and balsamic vinegar (or glaze).  Did you know that Sam’s Club sells sliced mozzarella? Caprese for every meal!

And this baked brie? This baked brie is always a crowd pleaser. I make it for every family gathering and then some. Make it and you will not be disappointed.

spicy stuffed peppers | my peppers fell apart so I couldn’t actually stuff them, I just placed them flat on the plate and topped with the delicious filling – no one noticed or cared that they weren’t stuffed. I would recommend making double roasted peppers, 2 per person would be perfect.

So far May isn’t looking like a great month for me to get back on the cooking train, but soon I hope, very soon!

This is a bit late… I apologize. You know how it goes. Life happens fast and next thing you know it’s May. You blink and you live in a new house. You wake up from a nap and you’re 31. I’ve heard it never slows down, so I’m going to adjust as best I can.

As this post is happening a bit late, this is based on my memory & iphone pics. I’ll do better in April, I hope.

vegetarian soba noodle stir fry | this vegan dish is easy to customize with your favorite vegetables and is hearty enough as a meal on its own

I first learned about bierocks (also known as runza) from my friend Jessica. Her family is from Kansas which apparently, along with Nebraska, is in touch with its Eastern European heritage. They even have fast food type places that serve these delicious hand held original hot pockets. After watching Jessica make these several times, I decided to try my hand at them.

Bierocks are  are meat-filled pocket pastries usually stuffed with ground beef (I used some sausage as well), shredded cabbage and onions, then oven baked until the dough is golden brown. If you use Rhodes dough (the kind you have to let rise) it will make the process much easier. 

bierocks | similar recipe here (minus the MSG) | serve with mustard

cast iron skillet brussels sprout bacon pizza | the flavor of this pizza was fantastic (I added mushrooms) but my cast iron skillet pizza technique needs a LOT of work. I might try it again on a smaller scale because I think it would have been much better had the pizza not gotten completely sideways when I transferred it to the piping hot cast iron skillet. I will try it again.

slow-cooker sweet potato chowder | a light chowder for the upcoming summer months – so flavorful

coconut curry chicken salad (recipe coming soon) | I made chicken salad using greek yogurt instead of mayo and added a splash of coconut milk I had leftover. A few dashes of curry later, this creation was an amazing change-up to the typical chicken salad.

kitchen sink salad | I call this my kitchen sink salad because I make it using whatever I have available in my fridge. Fruits, veggies, nuts, grape nuts (my fave), cheese, toss in a homemade vinaigrette and you’re done.

smitten kitchen‘s meatloaves with browned butter potatoes (pg. 187) | I made this for a friend who had just had a baby. I was dying to finally use my new Smitten Kitchen cookbook and I felt that this meal was hearty and homey enough for the new parents. You’ll have to buy the cookbook for the potato recipe or wait until I have a chance to recap it. But basically, brown the butter, then use it like you normally would in mashed potatoes… life changing. Trust me.

sushi alley | technically I didn’t make this meal. But I feel like I need to give you all a heads up on the new sushi place in Utica Square. I’ve been for lunch several times and they have a great lunch menu. For lunch, they have sushi combo meals like the one pictured above for about $12 and it includes a house salad OR miso soup. I’m loving it.

Well, that was it for MARCH… Now that it’s May, I guess I’ll get started on the April menu recap. I’ll catch up someday!

This recipe comes from a book I’ve told you about before, the Paleo Slow Cooking cookbook. It is full of easy, healthy, paleo-friendly recipes for your crock pot. This one is genius. I would have never thought to puree sweet potatoes to use as the cooking liquid. They’re full of flavor, and when combined with the spice of the jalapenos, they are transformed into a delicious sweet, yet spicy, chowder.

here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 large sweet potatoes, fully cooked
• 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 3-4 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil (or butter)
• 2 cups chicken broth or stock
• 2 jalapeno peppers, diced
• 1/2 cup coconut milk

Cook the sweet potatoes ahead of time by wrapping them in foil, bake at 400° for 45 minutes to an hour until soft. Let the potatoes cool to the touch (or place in the fridge for use later in the week).

Scoop out the sweet potato insides and place them in a large bowl with one cup of the chicken broth – puree with an immersion blender until smooth (you can also use a blender or food processor).

Chop the onions, carrots, and celery into small pieces and saute in a skillet with the coconut oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes.

Place the chicken in the bottom of the crock pot and top with the sauteed vegetables.

Add the pureed sweet potatoes to the crock pot as well.

Dice the jalapenos (discard seeds if you’re spice averse) and add them to the slow cooker. Next, add the coconut milk and 1 cup chicken broth to the crock pot and stir well.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Uncover and shred the chicken and cook, uncovered, for another half hour to thicken the chowder.

Serve with any leftover jalapenos, sour cream, cilantro, whatever you prefer!

I found this recipe in my quest for “real” food. It’s vegetarian. It’s vegan. It’s “real”. It’s customizable. It’s filling. It’s delicious.

Substitute any of your favorite veggies for a dish that is all your own. I meant to add mushrooms and obviously that didn’t happen. I think a 1/2 of an onion would be good in this too. Change it up, see what you think. Let me know if you find a must-try winning combination.

Here’s what you’ll need:

My Lenten venture this year is complicated. I have decided I will try to cut out processed foods during Lent and continue thereafter as a lifelong way of eating. Now, this being said, I know it won’t be possible 100% of the time, but I’m making a conscious effort to know exactly what I’m putting in my body. I’m using the blog 100 days of real food as my guide and I love how easy they make it seem.

Here are some helpful tips I repeat to myself daily (and more if you’re interested):

• eat as many fruits and vegetables as I can
• don’t buy anything with more than 5 ingredients listed on the can/jar
• you can have as much junk food as you want, as long as you make it yourself
• always choose brown rice
• popcorn is a whole grain
• no sugar, no white flour

I wanted to see which of my recipes qualify as “real food” I was pleasantly surprised to see how many met the classifications.

I’ve summarized them below and you can find them all with the tag “real food recipe” as well.

appetizers: black bean salsa* | chipotle artichoke dip* | roasted tomatillo salsa* | hummus | chipotle peach salsa | three-pepper hummus

side dish: beans with wilted spinach | farmers mac & cheese* | butternut squash soup* | roasted vegetables | warm german potato salad | honey glazed carrots | cilantro lime brown rice | roasted parmesan asparagus | oven-baked sweet potato fries | green bean bundles | cauliflower rice | horseradish roasted potatoes | spaghetti squash

main dish: beer chicken | pulled chicken tacos | chicken pesto packets |skillet vegetarian curry* | red curry quinoa |slow-cooker chicken korma | breakfast burritos | beef with snow peas and red pepper | sweet & spicy stir fried rice |scallops in garlic butter | chicken & peas curry | slow-cooker chicken tikka masala* | creamy chicken salad | chipotle roasted vegetable & chicken pizza* | quinoa stuffed acorn squash | slow-cooker indian curry | new orleans spicy cajun shrimp | Julia Child’s roasted chicken | vegetarian stuffed zucchini | boursin cream bowties with mushrooms & asparagus* | spicy (no-mayo) tuna salad | meatballs with tomatoes & zucchini | crustless quiche with spinach & bacon | tequila marinated shrimp | spicy chicken rice bowls | chicken burgers with garlic-rosemary mayo*| four-cheese pizza*| skillet vegetarian curry | Ina’s mustard chicken salad | slow-cooker red curry beef | chicken sausage, sweet onion & fennel pizza* | tabasco shrimp & sausage jambalaya* | green curry shrimp 

miscellaneous: homemade vegetable stock | caramelized red onions | blueberry avocado smoothie | slow-cooker chicken stock | roasted chicken stock | breadcrumbs | homemade tortillas | red onion salad dressing (omit the sugar)| homemade easy mac

*with slight modifications such as: using homemade tortillas to make the chips, substituting whole-wheat pasta or brown rice, omiting the bread or use a whole-grain option instead

I challenge you to cut out unnecessary processed ingredients in your favorite recipes. Can’t hurt.

This year for Valentine’s Day we stuck with our tradition of going out to dinner with Sam’s mom and this year, Alison was able to join us. We chose a very romantic meal… coneys. Nothing says love like chili and cheese!

On Friday, we chose to celebrate our first married Valentine’s Day by staying in and cooking a delicious meal by ourselves. Sam wanted to make the side item and picked these garlic butter scallops from V-day 2 years ago as the main dish.

They are ridiculously easy to make and they are as good as any restaurant scallop at half the price!

  Sam’s side dish of choice was mashed potatoes, which happens to be my favorite food of all time. His cream and butter combo was a pro move and these were some of the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had. Hands down. Funny how butter can do that to a meal.

My Valentine’s gift was a total surprise. We had never really discussed getting a french press, but I love it! I’ve used it every day since. Best coffee ever.

And a little night cap of a white russian using my homemade kahlua just topped off the evening perfectly. I will post the recipe soon, it is a must try.

Here’s what we made during February – some oldies but goodies!

browned butter risotto | risotto? good. browned butter? good. browned butter risotto? GREAT!

brined pork chops with spaghetti squash | these pork chops were to die for, I loved the sweet/savory flavor that the brine gives. My spaghetti squash technique needs some work though… I baked it for double the time listed in the recipe and it still wasn’t done. Next time I will follow these directions and hopefully it will be much better!

tabasco shrimp & sausage jambalaya | this was our fat tuesday meal and holy moly, it was delicious.

green curry shrimp | a quick and easy weeknight meal that is so satisfying, you’ll never want thai takeout again.

scallops in garlic butter | this was our Valentine’s repeat dinner from a few years ago. So so so good.

ribs | the BEST BBQ ribs you’ll ever have. We made these on our February ski trip – it was perfect since they bake low and slow all day.

[photo by: Pioneer Woman]

Pioneer Woman’s BBQ baked beans | these are usually a 2-hour baking process, but we made them on the stovetop in the interest of saving time.

[photo by: Picky Palate]

homemade easy mac | I used whole wheat pasta shells so this meal counted as a “real food” recipe. Such an easy way to avoid all the unnecessary ingredients/preservatives in easy mac. And it only takes 5 minutes.

Also in February, I hosted a baby shower for my friend Jess, I made most of the food and will save that for a separate post!

This meal was so delicious, I’d put it up against the green curry at my favorite thai place. Considering how easy it was and how healthy, I will certainly be making it again in the near future. 

More on this later, but I am in the process of attempting to eliminate processed foods from my life. It’s been challenging, but with the help of 100 Days of Real Food blog, it has been easier than expected. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve screwed up almost daily, but their recipes and tips have helped me a lot. This recipe is one of their “weeknight” meals as it comes together in less than 20 minutes.

what you’ll need:

Add the shrimp and saute until they turn pink and are cooked all the way through, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, whisk the green curry paste and coconut milk together. Turn the heat to low and pour the coconut milk/curry mixture into the pan and stir to coat. Once the coconut milk has thickened (2-3 minutes), turn off the heat. Serve over brown rice or quinoa.

Last year we celebrated Fat Tuesday with our friends CJ & Chauntay. They made this fantastic jambalaya that I had to attempt myself this year. I actually made it last night, so I could share with you today. It is very easy and the flavors are incredible. I made it a little healthier by using brown rice and quinoa rather than white rice.

{also check out this video I made using my new app: jambalaya video}

And here are some fun Fat Tuesday facts for you (I actually learned a few things):

• Mardi gras is French for Fat Tuesday
• Fat Tuesday refers to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season which begins tomorrow, Ash Wednesday
• Fat Tuesday is sometimes referred to as Shrove Tuesday, meaning “confess”
• Mardi Gras arrived in North America as a French Catholic tradition with the Le Moyne brothers
• In 1703 French settlers in Mobile established the first organized Mardi Gras celebration tradition in what was to become the United States.
• Mardi Gras celebrations are part of the basis of New Orlean’s slogan, Laissez les bons temps rouler, (Let the good times roll) and its nickname “Big Easy”.

And with that… let’s eat!

Browned butter. Enough said. Just kidding… kind of.

This is your basic risotto recipe that has been made better by browning the butter. This magical process transforms the butter into an even more flavorful, delicious product.

It’s a meal in itself or you can add fresh roasted vegetables, shrimp, lobster, chicken or beef to make it a complete and satisfying meal. Using ingredients I always have on hand, this is an easy meal to whip up for a decadent weeknight meal. Try it tonight with roasted veggies for your meatless Monday.